Sometimes dishonest customers pilfer papers from newspaper vending machines by inserting a coin, opening up the door and removing several editions of the paper. That is, most newspaper vending machines are based on a modified form of the honor system. When a coin is inserted, the denomination is typically sufficient for a single edition of the paper. However, with the door open, a dishonest consumer may remove several editions. This is often done when a special edition contains coupons, for example.
Numerous devices have been provided that will fit standard-sized newspaper cabinets to provide them with the capability of vending newspapers one at a time, and denying the access to the stack by the consumer.
However, none of the previous single vend devices have the capabilities of applicants' present invention.
Some prior art single vend machines operated a feed mechanism through a series of levers. In these prior art devices, the door, typically hinged to the front opening of the cabinet, would operate levers to feed a newspaper to a consumer. However, these prior art devices would sometimes jam when either the consumer opened the door too fast or too hard, or attempted to open the door part way and then jam it shut before opening it up fully.
Applicant provides, in their unique single vend apparatus, retrofittable to a standard-sized, rectangular newspaper vending machine cabinet without substantial modification, a lever mechanism operating a paper feed mechanism. The lever mechanism is attached to the door such that the door in its first 30.degree.-45.degree. (approximately) of travel will actuate the feed mechanism and urge the topmost newspaper of the stack through an insert slot, but the feed mechanism will, thereafter, be disengaged and the door free to move through the remainder of its arc (typically 45.degree.-60.degree.) with the feed mechanism disengaged. Moreover, applicants' feed mechanism includes a device which will prevent the door, once it commences its opening swing, to be reversed before it passes the intermediate point (point of latch mechanism disengagement). Further, as the door is being closed and passes the intermediate point on its way to a closed position, it can not be reopened.
Newspaper dispensing machines of the elevated shelf variety (shelf moves up as topmost paper is dispensed) typically need to be preadjusted for the thickness of the newspaper to be vended. Here, applicants provide an automatic paper thickness adjusting device consisting of a pair of threaded rods (one fixed, one moveable) and a ratchet mechanism consisting of a pair of spring loaded dogs operating on the rods through a handle. The function of this ratchet mechanism is to maintain the position of the topmost paper adjacent a slot through which the newspaper will be vended or dispensed as the door is opened. The slot is of a limited thickness so it is difficult for the dishonest consumer to get his fingers through it and pull out additional papers. Moreover, the slot has a flap which makes reaching through it difficult. In any case, applicants' unique elevated shelf has a rachet mechanism that automatically adjusts for the thickness of the paper. That is, the vendor, when stacking either thick or thin papers into the vending machine, does not have to preadjust for the thickness of the papers.